Joe Asakura, originally named George Asakura, was the son of Giuseppe and Caterina Asakura, high-ranking Galactor operatives attempting to defect. Galactor assassinated his parents during a beach retreat using a rose-shaped explosive, leaving young George the sole survivor. Dr. Kozaburo Nambu of the ISO intervened, faked the boy's death with a staged burial, and covertly relocated him off BC Island. To protect his identity, George was renamed Joe and raised under Nambu's guardianship, though the trauma suppressed his memories of the event and his parents' Galactor ties. Raised at Nambu's villa, Joe met fellow ward Ken Washio. Their early interactions were marked by rivalry and envy; Joe resented Ken's outwardly carefree demeanor despite Ken's own parental losses, while Ken represented justice-driven combat versus Joe's vengeance-fueled aggression. This dynamic persisted as Nambu assembled Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu to form the Science Ninja Team. Joe specialized in marksmanship and weaponry, adopting the codename "Condor Joe" (G-2) and utilizing feather shuriken as his signature weapon. His personal vehicle, the G-2, transformed from a stock car into a high-speed combat vehicle capable of docking with the team's God Phoenix. Joe's aggressive, independent combat style frequently clashed with Ken's strategic, defensive approaches. This friction peaked when Ken prioritized mission objectives over personal attachments, such as during Jun's capture. Joe openly challenged Ken's leadership, believing eliminating Galactor required relentless pursuit of its leadership, especially Berg Katse. Despite conflicts, Joe maintained unwavering team loyalty. His physical resilience was tested when shrapnel caused brain damage, exacerbating headaches but paradoxically enhancing combat reflexes, foreshadowing his eventual fate. In the original series climax, Joe sacrificed himself during the "Black Hole Operation" at Galactor's Himalayan headquarters. Severely wounded and disarmed after confronting Katse, he awaited the team's arrival in a weakened state, fueled by fragmented memories of his parents' deaths. His body was never recovered, only his boomerang left behind. Two years later, he resurfaced in *Gatchaman II*, saved from fatal injuries by an ex-Galactor scientist. He underwent extensive cybernetic augmentation, including mechanical organs and enhanced physical capabilities, becoming a partially mechanized warrior. Initially operating incognito as a mysterious protector, he rejoined the team after exposing a Galactor infiltrator posing as his replacement. His resurrection remained secret until revealed by Dr. Pandora. As a cyborg, Joe adopted a detached, sacrificial mindset, viewing himself as a weapon. He frequently undertook high-risk solo missions, leveraging enhanced durability to confront lethal threats. This culminated in his pivotal role against the revived Galactor, led by the mutated child Gelsadora (later revealed as Dr. Pandora's offspring). Joe's cybernetic heart contained a bomb intended to ensure destruction if he confronted Leader X directly, though this contingency was thwarted. The 1994 OVA reimagined Joe's design and backstory. His civilian appearance featured auburn hair, olive skin, a leather jacket, and a crucifix necklace, with a skull tattoo symbolizing his vengeance vow. His Bird Style uniform shifted to navy blue with burgundy accents, and his vehicle became a blue Shelby Cobra transforming into a sleeker, Batmobile-like G-2, emphasizing a "bad boy" aesthetic and lone-wolf persona. Alternate continuities offered variations. The cancelled Imagi film project depicted him as "Joseph Asakura," with his parents killed in a pizza restaurant bombing during his 12th birthday. Early concept art blended OVA and original series elements, though finalized renders aligned closer with the latter. The *Infini-T Force* iteration presented Joe as a dimension-displaced defender lacking explicit ties to the main continuity. The *Condor Flies!* light novel reimagined him as a genetically engineered soldier with implanted memories of George Asakura's life.